Customizing Mics

Cumberland · Customizing Mics

I just wanted to drop by and give you some insight into my first and ONLY mic modification I've done..........do yourself a favor......a big favor......if you're wanting a customized mic, go to a specialist. I'm happy with the way mine turned out but I would have been way ahead on time and money and gotten more out of my mic if I'd just had gone to Greg at blowsmeaway.com.

He didn't ask me to post this, I'm just giving you my honest opinion. Greg knows what he's doin.........period. I spent over a month working on it in my spare time and gathered up the components......shell, element, screw on connector (had XLR), volume control, gasket (thanks Tim), silk, new grill mesh, etc...........I'm tired just listing the things off of the top of my head....... Shocked

If I'd have got to someone and had it done, I would have saved a lot of time and money and I'm positive that Greg would have gotten more out of the mic than I was able to.

Just my honest opinion......

But here it is.......

Jaybird

Hey man, That is a beautiful looking mic!! I have a mic shell like that and it is one of my favorites. You may be right when you say that someone else could have done a better job for maybe less. However, you cannot buy the knowledge you purchased with your hands on experience. You have heard the saying about giving someone a fish, or teaching them how to fish. From now on you will really have a true understanding of what others are talking about when mic building comes up. Way to go!!

Cumberland

You're absolutely correct........understanding what custom folks do for a living gives you fantastic insight into why they do what they do. I can attest to the fact that they ain't getting rich.....they do it for the love of it.

It was a fun project and the experience but I won't be doin' it again.....I'll leave it to the experts....... Very Happy

Ray

Looks really nice! Since you did all the work yourself, I think you will appreciate that mic alot more than if you had paid someone to do it.

Jeffrey Spoor

She's a beaut alright. No question about it, it's a better deal to have somebody do the work. But now that you've done one, there's no turning back. I hope you realize that! It's kind of like being in the Mafia. You're in for life. So go ahead and get the $200 soldering iron and apply for terms at Mouser. You're going to need them.

Cumberland

I don't think so......I'm having to have someone else solder this one.... Laughing

I'm just no good with soldering. I've done a little bit for my kids 4H projects (I wanted to be the one responsible for burning down the house) and I just don't get it....... Laughing

The only other mic I might be interested in doing is the Maglite I-Mic.....that darn thing is just cool.........

It was real fun working with this one but I think it was a short career.....I'm far better working with leather than electronics......Thanks for all the free tech support guys.............

gheumann

Jeff, first of all the mic looks great! Second, I've spoken to you and I know you're a bright guy. You need to lose your fear of soldering. It is SO easy. There are 2 steps:

1) Heat BOTH pieces until they are hot enough to melt the solder (i.e., don't try to use the soldering iron to melt the solder and have it flow onto cold pieces.. On the other hand, sometimes a little dab of solder melted by the iron helps conduct the heat to the other pieces.)

2) Flow a little solder on, remove the iron and hold the two pieces steady until the solder becomes solid again.

That's it.

Now, the above often takes 3 hands, so here's a trick I use frequently. It is called "tinning" - which is to flow some solder onto both parts individually first. This way you only have to hold ONE part, the solder and the iron (I also hold the soldering iron in a vise.) Tin both parts. Now, place them together and heat both until the solder flows. You do not need to add any solder, so that hand is now free. Whenever I solder a wire to a pot, or butt-join two wires together, I use this method.

YOU CAN DO THIS.

/Greg

Jeffrey Spoor

Jeff, you're surrounded by enablers! See, you're even in a support group for mic addicts. The first step is admitting you have a problem. I'm telling you, it's like crack and Lay's potato chips. You can't have just one.

...Just don't inhale that solder smoke!

Cumberland

Thanks for all the encouragment.........I've always been a bit leary (ok...scared) of things I don't understand like electronics. I'll be the first to admit that the only way you learn anything and get better at it is to practice it and fail a few times. It's the way you learn and I promise I'll give it a go sometime soon. The mic is already at the guy's place so it will have to wait for another day, but I will give it a try (kids 4H is coming soon so maybe then..... Razz

)

Tim, you are absolutely correct........I'm a addict, a gear head wollowing in my own self-addictive world.........."Hello, my name is Jeff and I'm an addict" If you only knew how bad I got it.........(you'll have to ask Greg about a conversation we had the other day and you'll see how sick I really am) I won't make the details public just in case I still pull the trigger on that one........... Cool

I just checked my ebay watch list.......ALL MICS......seriously all mics.....nothing else. Thank god I'm not addicted to Porsche's.....

Thanks again for your support........give a man a fish......something like that....... Laughing